Things That Would Make Mama Life Easier...

And that I can NEVER actually implement because they are dangerous!...

1. A strap to keep his binky in his mouth. A definite choking hazard, but seriously that kid spits it out twenty time a day and yelps to have it back!

2. A strap to keep Gremlin in place for him to stare at. He is SOOOO interested in the kitty, but she disses him left and right. I would likely forget strapped-down kitty and come back to a very sad kitty, since I only have baby radar these days. One day, Grem. One day he will walk!!! Muahahah.

3. To keep him in the Moby while I drive. It gets annoying pulling him in and out of the Moby and sometimes I would love him to stay sleeping and cuddled next to me instead of back in the sad lonely car-seat. Alas, that would probably be the most terrible and stupid thing a mama could do. I am not Brittany Spears.

4. A pause button. Sometimes when I need to get things done or want a nap I would love a pause button so that he would be safe and happy and frozen in time until after I took my few minutes. This is also a terrible idea because if you have ever seen a sci-fi show or movie you know that in order to spice up the plot something would go terribly wrong with my baby-freezer. No good.

Back to life as usual, I suppose (at 5 am). Where is my coffee...

These are a Few of My Favorite Things...

Being a new mother is an insane roller coaster ride of emotion; it is not uncommon to feel unbelievably overwhelmed and yet incredibly thankful to God all in the same moment. Any bit of frustration or sleeplessness is all too worth it if it is the deal you have to make to have the amazing little person that you are blessed with, and sometimes I really think the tough parts (staying up late and being patient with him, caring a whole lot less about my body and how it looks and feels, and especially learning how to juggle the needs of the baby with the wants of friends and family) are things that have been purposely put in place to slowly raise a mommy so that she CAN raise a baby.

Having said that, I have quickly come to find that focusing on small but lovely things once and a while can really help to alleviate some of the stresses so that I don't go all the way crazy. Here are a few of my not-so-guilty pleasures since having my wee little lovie bear...

1. A venti Starbucks unsweetened iced green tea. I get these about once a week now. Since mainlining coffee is not really an option for a nursing mother to use in order to pep up, and alcoholcan't be used to wind down, I love to get this cool and refreshing drink when I need to do either. It is actually pretty healthy for the little man if he gets much through the milk, and it is WAY healthy for me to stop, take some sips, and regroup. 

2. Co-sleeping. Before the Aug-Miester was born I was a little nervous about this one. I was scared I would roll on top of him or NEVER get any sleep for fear of doing so. Not true! I love, love, love, love laying him down in the (large) space I make between Forrest's and my pillows and looking into his little sleepy eyes as he drifts away happily, knowing he is safe next to me. It actually helps me to sleep knowing that he is so close, and I was surprised about how strong my instincts are. I wake up easily if he moves or cries, but when he is resting nicely (usually one 4 hour stretch and one 3 hour stretch a night with one more iffy stretch in the morning) I sleep like a happy rock. I always lay him on his back but I generally wake to him laying on his side facing me, and he usually manages to squinch his way quite a bit closer to my face. Waking up in the morning to an amazing little finger poking me haphazardly in the face couldn't be a better wake up call.

3. Underwear. I know this one is silly, but it is nice to have one item of clothing that didn't have to be replaced temporarily when I got huge. Even now, when I put on the two-sizes-too-big pants I had to buy until I shrink down a little, and a bra that is too big to politely mention the size of, my underwear are unchanging. Well, I change THEM, but you get the picture. 

4. Other mama's. Having now realized some of the reasons my sister's did or said certain things when they were new moms, or suddenly understanding how much my own mother has agonized over my safety and well being are all overwhelming thoughts, but having that increased understanding makes me feel so much closer to all of them, and my mama-friends as well. It is like an unspoken bond or a secret club that one gets to join. We all know that if something wants to hurt our little person we will die trying to protect him/her and that is no joke. I now see how a woman can lift a car off her kid. It is a neat and scary feeling, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

5. Forrest carrying Augie to communion during mass. Before we had any babies, and in fact before I ever even knew Forrest, I would always coo and aww at the sight of a man proudly carrying his little one up for communion. Of course the sight of a mama and baby are precious, but there is something unmatched about getting a glimpse into the softer side of a strong and good man. I think Forrest knows this about me, as I would sometimes point out the particularly cute baby/daddy couples once in a while when we were first married. Now that we have our own little bear he always insists on carrying him up for me during communion, and it makes me so happy. To see how proud he is of the little person we made and to get a reminder of what a good man I chose to marry all in one fell swoop? Nothing compares. 

Augie and Meredith

Today Augie and I ventured over to Fort Worth to pay a visit to the newest member of the Weldy clan! Lucky for us Aunt Sarah was in town too, so our visit was a double special AND some neat pictures were taken. Augie was actually just crashing Meredith's newborn photo shoot, but we will take cute pictures anytime!

Note the purple hand from being under her head! Yipes!

As it turns out, the only thing cuter than one sweet little baby is TWO sweet little babies posed together like teeny little friends!

Thanks for having us over, Lydia! We had fun... (Other than the mind-boggling construction and traffic issues)

Getting Back In Shape!

So this Tuesday Augie will be 6 weeks old, which means that I will be six weeks postpartum. This means several things, including the fact that it is time for me to begin exercising, eating "right" and getting back into shape. Really all I want is to fit properly into my clothes from before the little bear was conceived.

Here is the plan--

I am big into making lists and plans and goals, therefore I know I need to employ something that plays on that part of me in order to lose weight. I found (via the suggestion of a family member) MyFitnessPal.com. This thing is awesome! It is essentially a calorie counter, much like what you would have to pay to use with WeightWatchers online, BUT IT IS FREE! It tracks your exercise in order to allow you more calories if you earn them, it has a pretty good library of foods to look up and add with calories already accounted for, AND it has a breastfeeding allotment! I mean, WOW! That is the main thing I was concerned about with any kind of diet, is making sure I don't do any harm to Augie's weight gain. This site definitely meets all my needs. Here is my weight loss ticker that I will be updating on a weekly basis...

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter

Another neat thing about this site is that it takes a note from Facebook and allows you to have "friends", be in "groups", AND it has a status thread on your home page. I am really excited to get started tomorrow and I believe this site will help me stay on track.

Hopefully if all goes well I will meet my goal of ditching 25lbs sometime this summer. Probably just in time to get prego again. Haha. Wish me luck!!

One Month Old!

     Today we had Augie's one month appointment with the pediatrician. His newest stats are 10 lbs (really it said 10lbs 4oz, but I weighed a cloth diaper and they are 4oz) and 22 and 3/4 inches! What a big boy! In just one month he has gained 2 lbs and 1 and 1/4 inches. Woot woot!

Here is evidence of my little bear's growth...

Smiley face

Handsome pose

Clearly Forrest's offspring

     Last week we went to my 3 week postpartum checkup and I got a picture of Augie with Carol (the Midwife who birthed him) and Makayla (the nurse who was an angel throughout my labor)...

Makayla (left) and Carol (right)

     I had such a wonderful experience at the birth center throughout my entire pregnancy and birth that I almost can't wait to get pregnant again. How many people can say that they are sad to not be able to go to weekly appointments to see their healthcare providers? Apparently breastfeeding amenorrhea (lack of menstruation that comes with exclusive breastfeeding) is usually about 98% effective as "birth control" for the first six months. That's all the birth control I am willing to use, so I guess everyone should stay tuned in to see if that percentage is true for me. I will miss those ladies in the meantime. They really made my journey from unassuming little pregnant lady to full fledged mama more amazing and simple than I could have ever hoped. 

     I will start asking Forrest to take regular pictures of Augie from now on so that I can quit posting the terrible ones that I take. I can't WAIT to start having fun summer activities to do with my fellas, and I am also quite excited about letting Aug get to meet his newest peer,  Meredith Weldy! Congratulations, Lydia!!